Book Review: “Faithful Traitor” by Samantha Wilcoxson

Hello!

Back in mid-June, my mom surprised me one night with the fact that we now had Kindle Unlimited. At first, I was happy about it but as I was attempting to go online within five minutes after reading that text message, our WiFi turned off and both of my parents were in bed asleep. I had to wait roughly nine hours for them to get up and turn it back on, but once they did I began my search for my next book. However, I wasn’t even close to finishing my previous read: “Three Dark Crowns” by Kendare Blake. I really didn’t have to wait too long because I was running through it fast as lightning!

It was rough making my decision on my next read because I really wanted to go into a non-fiction but keep the same theme I was in the month before and as soon as I saw the cover, I knew it was apart of my Goodreads long TBR; it has been on my “to be read” list since 2017 and apparently it had been released a year earlier, so yeah, I’d been waiting quite a long time to check it out for myself.


d70e8cf2ae9b321ff9264a8691b5e6b8Margaret Pole is no stranger to fortune’s wheel. From her childhood as firstborn of the heir apparent of England, she was brought low as the daughter of a traitor. After years of turmoil as the Tudor dynasty made its roots, Margaret finds favor with her cousin, King Henry VIII.

Will the remnant of the York dynasty thrive under this tempestuous king or will Margaret discover that there is a price to pay for having an excess of royal blood?

Step into Tudor England . . . .

taken from Goodreads.

Back in 2006, I was a freshman in high school and I was never into reading at all and my English teacher at the time, told all of us that if we didn’t find anything to read on Fridays that we would be forced to find something in the classroom to read, and this terrified me! So, within a week I discovered the fictional side of bookshelves, and I found out that I really enjoyed reading about people, both famous and lesser known, and I just loved seeing how people lived in certain time period and situations. So, in a way I give my former English teacher lots of credit to my love of the Tudor era.

When I first started reading this book, I thought it would be a biographical story of Margaret Pole, like when I read about her cousin Elizabeth of York by the author Alison Weir a few years ago, but in reality it is more fictionized than I had originally realized but after a couple chapters I actually grew to enjoy it this way. I haven’t had a lot of good luck staying interested in these types of books lately so, I was both concerned and thrilled at the same time!

So, the author has written this story as part of a Plantagenet series, starting with Elizabeth of York, who was at the heart of the War Of The Roses. She was a York princess that married the Lancastrian heir Henry Tudor, thus creating the beginning of the Tudor dynasty. This one is about her cousin. Elizabeth’s father was King Edward IV and Margaret’s father was his brother George, Duke Of Clarence. By the time we approach Margaret’s story, she is at home in Brockmar, with her husband Richard Pole and children: Henry, Arthur, Reginald, and Ursula after she has heard the news of her cousin’s death.

Every chapter goes by a certain month and year at the top, so unless you know your Tudor dates really well, you can keep track to the bigger moments happening. However, this is again, a fictionized tale of her life, which means some things are made up here and there, but I didn’t mind it at all.

I have always built up that wall that medieval women and girls – did the women always do what they were suppose to? Did they even bash an eye at things that maybe we would in modern times? I was basically forced to face reality and give these women more credit at shielding their true feelings. Between this book and the STARZ television series based on Philippa Gregory’s novels; I’ve tried to squash that state of mind and for Margaret, she had been through a lot in her lifetime, both good and bad moments in history, so it was much more difficult to stick to that mindset because honestly she had it rough, and I have felt very sympathic to her over in the last few years.

One thing I was a tiny bit confused was after the death of her husband, she did not want to depend on the court and her cousin King Henry VIII for the rest of her life. As she was marrying off her eldest son Henry, he was hoping a little bit too much on a role to the king and Margaret makes a point that she doesn’t want him to hope too much for that to happen. However, after his marriage, he does get promoted by the king as he turns into Lord Montague and Margaret is graced with her ancestral title Countess of Salisbury. The Countess becomes one of Catherine Of Aragon’s ladies in waiting and after the birth of Princess Mary, she turns into her governess.

It’s at this point that her role of staying out of royal affairs, especially in the aftermath of the divorce proceedings between Henry and Catherine, breaking away from the Roman Catholic church, and eventual news of Henry’s decision to make his daughter illegitimated, really makes everything go topsy-turvy for Margaret and her family. I will say, I figured that all of this would be a fast decline as far as reading, but it stayed really balanced and there was enough of the story where nothing was too chaotic in my mind. Unfortunately, I did know how things ended for Margaret in real life. So, when I got to that part, it was so incredibly sad. I was so into the story and would consider this Margaret as a friend, the downfall really made me emotional.

Now like I said in the beginning of this post, this is a series of three books and that means the next story is about Princess Mary and I’m thinking it will start at the death of Margaret since that’s how this book began, but I’m not really sure. I do want to read the other two, but if you are concerned if you need to start with book 1 and continue down the line, you really don’t have to do it that way, which I really seemed to enjoy the most.

Have you read “Faithful Traitor: The Story Of Margaret Pole” by Samantha Wilcoxson yet? Are you a lover of these types of fictionized stories about royals, whether they are current or medieval?

snowflake

I’ve Finally Watched The Tudors!

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Hey guys!

Well, you’ve been following me on Twitter you know that earlier this month I started Showtime’s series The Tudors that was on air from 2007-10. It talked about King Henry VIII in dealing with difference in religious views of himself and his kingdom, plus the stories of how he came to marry six women from 1509 (with Catherine Of Aragon) to 1534 (with Catherine Parr). He fathered three living children: Mary I, Elizabeth I, and Edward VI.

I’m sort of familiar with the story, mostly while he was married to Anne Boelyn, but I realized how much of that marriage that I didn’t know either! I started watching a couple episodes here and there, between Showtime and BBC America. However neither were from the beginning so I didn’t pay too much attention to them. I finally decided to ask my mom to show me how to download them onto my DVR because I was in the mood for a little Jonathan Rhys Meyers and I ended up losing a part of myself for three weeks. I got lucky and I could watch all four seasons for free for the month of February, so I kind of went a little faster and had some all-nighters watching episode after episode! In one night, I watched four episodes! I finished the series as a whole on Valentine’s day. I’ve been going through mini withdrawals ever since!

I generally loved the show! I was surprised with myself on how much I didn’t care of the fashion and locations as much as I’m kind of known to doing whenever I watch historical specials like this. I was seriously into the stories of each character, what significant each one had to the tale of King Henry’s reign. I think Jonathan Rhys Meyers was a brilliant choice to play King Henry VIII as I was very intimidated and felt both happiness and pain throughout the whole thing. He should have won that Golden Globe!

There was one more thing I was disappointed on and that was quite a few characters/actors just kind of jumped off the face of the Earth. From season two to three, we lost Sir Anthony Knivert, Duke of Norfolk, Archbishop Cranmer, and Thomas Tallis. Either I didn’t pay that great deal of attention between these two seasons or all four really left. I was seriously confused why the actor that played Cranmer was talked about through seasons three and four, but never came back to the show!

I find it odd that I’m complaining about a show that hasn’t been on the air since 2010 but oh well!

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The Two Natalie’s.

Like I said before, I knew more about the story of Anne Boelyn, but not as much as I’d like honestly! I’ve seen The Other Boelyn Girl which focuses on the Boelyn sisters, Mary and Anne. So I’m used to Natalie Portman. When I started watching, I fought hard in my mind of how much I could remember what was included in that film and what was different. Of course, the one difference was the fact that Mary had gotten pregnant and the rumors were that he was the father of her child, but he only recognized one illegitimate son by Lady Elizabeth Blout named Henry FitzRoy in 1519

I actually liked Natalie Dormer as Anne Boelyn more than Natalie Portman. She was fierce, powerful and mysteriously wicked. As it’s been a few years since I’ve last seen the film, I do remember not exactly seeing the chemistry between Eric Bana and Natalie Portman as to Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Natalie Dormer. When you can see the deep connection between the actors, you know they’ve sold it! It all felt real to me! I found the end of the Boelyn’s very much upsetting as it did the first time. I felt Anne was tossed into this life without having a voice to say “no” because her father and brother were both at court and had the king’s ear just as much as she did! So when she and George were executed I was very sad. I had grown to love that character so much that it broke my heart. She and Jane Seymour’s deaths where the only ones I cried at the end of their episodes!

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As For Queen Jane Seymour.

Even though I was very confused during that first episode of season three, seeing a totally different actress for Jane Seymour, I ended liking her a little more than I thought I would. Annabelle Wallis was more feminine and older looking as to the first actress that was featured in the last of season three.

She got along with everybody, which after the collapse of Catholic faith and the King basically calling him God, she made things between father and daughters less chaotic! Especially for Princess Elizabeth, as Anne Boelyn was awaiting her death baby Elizabeth was considered a “bastard” to King Henry after he heard rumors of Anne’s alleged affairs and deformity of the last baby she had that died. I feel if it wasn’t for both Jane and Anne Of Cleves, she wouldn’t be allowed to court like Princess Mary and Prince Edward.

When that episode of the birth of the prince loomed, I actually got really upset again!! What is wrong with me?!?! Anyways, I’ve said that you could feel the love between him and Anne, but he looked like he genuinely loved Jane too! He must’ve really loved her because when he died, even though he was still married to Catherine Parr, he is buried with her at St. George Chapel in Windsor Castle.

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I Hated Catherine Howard.

Something that got me while Thomas Crownwell arranged the married of Anne Of Cleves, that Thomas Seymour and Charles Brandon find a young woman at an orphanage to suit this king! In a way, I was thinking in my head, have you people learned anything from Thomas’ mistakes?! 

From that first episode she was brought to court, I knew it wasn’t going to end well. And yes, I had spoiled it for myself beforehand and looked up how she died and her charges. What surprised me the most was Lady Rochford!! I think after going through her husband’s death George Boelyn and sister-in-law Anne Boelyn she’d know better! This technically didn’t seem like it was on accident. In ways, I felt as though she wanted a way out of court and life altogether and thought this was her only shot. She just ended up taking a king’s groomsmen and the Queen down with her!

I felt Catherine Howard was WAYYY too young to succeed to the throne! She wasn’t the ideal queen, as to those who came before and after her, who were proper and had grace surrounding them. There was no comparison to her and Princess Mary as far as they acted out in court. Even her ladies-in-waiting irritated me!

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Testing 1, 2, 3

I’ve always been a little hesitant because I know how big King Henry VIII got later on in his life. So I was really curious before I watched the third and fourth seasons of how big Jonathan would be willing to get for this role. Despite the fact that there are shots and shots of him eating, looking like he had absolutely no control over what he put into his body, the only noticeable changes that were made for Jonathan were his facial and voice at the end of season four. I was really mad that they couldn’t depict him better than that!but once those scenes were finished I kind of forgot about it.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers was brilliant! For like two separate nights I was in a bit of a daze, the first night I watched 3 episodes in one sitting and the other? Almost 5! That ultimately ruined my sleep pattern for a week! Anyways, I was basically stuck in my bed watching the story of his hopeless-romantic-but-if-you-didn’t-produce-a-son-he-found-himself-out-of-the-marriage kind of guy! So that right away tested my ability to watch it.

The second was while he put Catherine of Aragon out of the castle and she lived in poverty while he took up Anne Boelyn as his official mistress. Something usually happens as I watch these historical dramas like this that I didn’t even know I have trapped inside of me until later on after I’ve finished with an episode. I was feeling for every single wife he took on!

I even felt sorry for both Princess Mary and Elizabeth!! It was mostly because he didn’t seem to care about any of them at all, only his needs. Which during the last episode of the series, where in a dream sequence Catherine of Aragon played by Maria Doyle Kennady, Anne Boelyn played by Natalie Dormer, and Jane Seymour played by Annabelle Wallis all come back beyond their graves and haunt Henry for his past sins of annulment, beheading, and not caring about his son, Prince Edward. As early season three appeared Jane Seymour was this gentle, modest Queen and she came back in what felt like to me out of character, but as I thought about it, it wasn’t. He wanted a male heir to the throne, but once he he got it, it was like he lost interest with him altogether. He couldn’t bring Jane back but he could have respect her and love on not only his son but daughters a little more too!

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I Did Not Think This Through!

I did not know Henry Cavil was in this show before I started watching it. When I first saw the opening credits, I was kind of shocked but yet excited because I haven’t seen anything besides Man Of Steel, and the show is of course, before he signed up for Superman. I actually opened my mind a little bit for him as Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. I was very impressed though. I didn’t genuine like the role until the end of season two. If he hadn’t switched sides that he would have been killed right along George Boelyn on something that he didn’t do!  It was nice to see him outside of Superman for once and into this very gentle giant that was haunted by the lost, troubled souls he helped murder for the rebellion.

When I watched the season four opening credits and seen how long his hair and beard were getting, that about did me over!!! I am my mother’s daughter!

Now that I am finished, are they any other historical fiction shows that I show check out? Don’t worry, Reign is on my list for spring! 

snowflake

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